Mission

The Project, established in 2005, is dedicated to helping ensure that as nanotechnologies advance, possible risks are minimized, public and consumer engagement remains strong, and the potential benefits of these new technologies are realized.

Nanotechnologies are hailed by many as the next industrial revolution. They promise to change everything from the cars we drive to the clothes we wear, from the medical treatments our doctors can offer to our energy sources and workplaces. Although focused on the very small, nanotechnologies offer tremendous potential benefits. From new cancer therapies to pollution-eating compounds, from more durable consumer products to detectors for biohazards like anthrax, from novel foods to more efficient solar cells, nanotechnologies are changing the way people think about the future.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies collaborates with researchers, government, industry, NGOs, policymakers, and others to look long term, to identify gaps in knowledge and regulatory processes, and to develop strategies for closing them. The Project will provide independent, objective knowledge and analysis that can inform critical decisions affecting the development and commercialization of nanotechnologies.

Our goal is to inform the debate and to create an active public and policy dialogue. It is not an advocate either for, or against, particular nanotechnologies. We seek to ensure that as these technologies are developed, potential human health and environmental risks are anticipated, properly understood, and effectively managed.

All research results, reports, and the outcomes of our meetings and programs are made widely available through publications and over the web. We include a wide variety of stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, in our work.

We also are committed to engaging a new generation of young people interested in working at the interface of public policy and nanoscience and nanoengineering. We run an active program with university researchers, educators, and students to further that objective.